Improvement in fence



. day ofduly, A. D. i867,

@auch tant @anni @ffice NELSON JOHNSON, OF JASPER, NEW YORK.

Letters .Patent No. (39,444, dated Oct/Zier 1, 1867.

IMPROVEMENT 1N renee.

TO ALL WHOM I'l MAY COCERN:

Be it known that I, NEESON JOHNSON, ot' Jasper, in the county of Steuben, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fences; and l do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of 4the saine, reference beingv had -to the accompanying drawings, which are made a part oi' this specification.

My inyention consists in securing the ends ofthe boards in' metallic sockets, et' suitable construction, hung eccentrically on pivots, so as to swing with the wind, to diminish the opposing surface of the fence, and thus prevent its being blown down or otherwise injured by the wind; also in a. novel construction of posts for supporting said pivoted boards', and the manner of 'mounting them therein. In the drawings- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved fen'ee, certain parts being broken away to more clearly show its construction.

Figure 2 is an enlarged view of one end of a board witha metallic socket applied, showing it partly in section.

A represents a post, in the vertical slots a ot' which the gudgeons of the sockets B ou one end ofthe boards C, are pivoted, and in which they are secured by the pins al; the gudgeons of the sockets B1 on the opposite end of the board being secured in holes, the outer ends of which 'are represented ate2 in thepost A.

A2 A represent-upright battons or boards, of suitable width, secured 'together by strips al, between which the post A4 is drivem and to which they are fastened by the pin a. 'lhese battensare provided with the necessary holes or slots for the reception of the gudgeons, in this ease oblique slots a5, in which the gudgeons of the sockets D" on one end of the boards Gl are pivoted and secured by pins ya, those ofthe sockets B2 on the opposite ends boing securedvin holes in the post A1, similari)r to those of the sockets B, and soon, the gudgeons of the sockets B on the ends ot' the boards Ogbeing pivoted in round noles in the betten A, and those on the opposite end in slot-s in the succeeding battens, either form ot postand slots being used. I prefer that post composed ol' the battensrAl'A-l, with the post or stake A" driven between them, as that form is xnueh more readily constructed, and maybe much more easily removed whendesired. When the solid posts are used I prefer the vertical slots, its-they are much more easilyniade in that way, in that form of post, und when the battens are used the others are preferable, for the same reason. However, either form 'maybe used, when desired, in ,either form ot' post. 1 The bearings for the gu'dgeons should be large enough to allow them to revolve freely therein.

D D represent longitudinal braces, .which prevent the sagging of the posts in that direction, which might serve to bind the gudgeons and prevent'their rotation.

A The metallic sockets are constructed as represented in lig. 2, their interior being of suitable size to receive the end of an ordinary fencing-board, slightly flaring towards their bottom, b, which is provided with apertures bl, to admit the wedges e which are driven into the end of the board C, to force it into thcllaring form of the .socket and thus. secure it therein. lt is also provided with a gudgeon, b2, which l prefer to cast hollow, as represented, as it renders the socket much lighter and less expensive, while at the salue time it answers every purpose of the solid one, and is as easily east. l t'nrthcr construct the end or back b otthe socket of curved foi-unto permit the slope el' the boards onthe hill-sides. When the board exccedsiu breadth the length ot' the socket, (which is often desirable as the bottom board,)as represented in the drawings, the socket may be applied to it by cutting or sawing a slit in the end ot' the board and driving one end ot' the socket intoit, and wedging, as before described, and 'narrower boards may be used`by inserting additional wedges above und below them, through the openings in the sockets. The upper edge of the boards O, C, kc., is bevelled or sharpened, as represented at c, so that when raised by the wind as small a surface as possible will be presented to it.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, i`s` 1. rllhe skeleton metallic sockets, having either hollow or solid gudgeons, and otherwise constructed and operating substantially as described for the purpose set forth.

Y 2. The boards O Ol O2, having bevelled upper edges el, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination of the battons A2 A3, strips al, post or stake A, pin rt, and brace D, substantially as and for the purpose described. I

4. The combination of the socket B, wedges e c, and board C, substantially as and lfor thepurposc speciled.

5. The slots ct fr", gudgeons I1, and pins al a", combined and arranged substai'itially as described.

To. the above specification of my new and useful improvement in t'cnees I have signed my hand this 15th NELsoN Johnson'.

Witnesses:

J. E. M. BOWEN,- OoTAvrUs KNIGHT. 

